Container



April 1943- A. A. ABRAMSON CONTAINER Filed Nov. 25, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR. ALVIN A. ABRAM'SON ATTORNEY.

April 13, 1943' A. A. ABRAMSON 2,316,384

CONTAINER Filed Nov. 25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gum... I I 0 INVENTOR.ALVIN A" ABRAMSON Aprifl 13, 1943. A. A.IABRAMSON CONTAINER Filed Nov.25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ALVIN A, ABRAM SON ATTORNEY.

aiented Apr. 13, 1943 corrr Application November 25, 1940, Serial No.367,003

1 filaim. (01. 229-35),

This invention relates generally to containers and, more particularly,to transparent containers and to the method of making the same.

There has been a persistent demand in the container industry forlow-cost transparent containers for protecting the packaged merchandiseand, at the same time, permitting visualinspection of the packagecontents. By reason of the physical characteristics of availabletransparent materials, such as Vue-Pack, Cellophane, and similarsynthetic transparent materials, it has been considered virtuallyimpossible to satisfy this need. So far as I am also aware, however, allefforts to supply containers of this type failed for the reason that ithas been necessary to utilize materials which are exorbitantly expensiveand, further, the various methods of construction necessary infabricating such containers involve so much hand labor that theproduction cost is also excessive.

In the container industry, as is well known, the problem of storing anytype of rigid box or container from the time it is finished until thetime it is used by the packager has always been troublesome. Rigidcontainers, such as shoe boxes, shirt boxes, and the like, if permittedto accumulate in large quantities, require a tremendous amount ofstorage space. On the other hand, the normal daily output of most modernmanufacturing plants. is such that a large volume of containers forpackaging the products of such plants becomes a daily necessity. Themost economical solution for this problem is to integrate the productionschedule of the container manufacturer to the production schedule of thecontainer user, so that the containers will flow in a steady streamdirectly and immediately after completion to the point at which theywill be packed and shipped to the retailer or ultimate consumer. Hence,in addition to providing rigid transparent containers at low cost, it isalso necessary to provide a method or process of manufacture which canbe economically and reliable integrated with the production schedules ofthe manufactuding plants requiring such containers for the packaging ofmanufactured products.

My invention hence has for its primary objects the provision of asubstantially rigid self-supporting container from medium or relativelythin gauge transparent material initially in flexible sheet form withoutrigidity.

My invention has for further objects the provision of a container whichis transparent, durable,

and serviceable, afiording adequate protection to the packagedmerchandise, and which is con nomical in cost or materials andconstruction and may be cheaply produced in large numbers at relativelyhigh speed.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a method forproducing containers of the type stated'which is simple, economical, andemcient, in which labor and material costs are reduced to a minimum, inwhich there is no substantial wastage or loss resulting from therejection of containers by reason of improper fabrication, and in whichhigh-speed production schedules can be reliably maintained for supplyingcontainers at any desired rate.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides inthe novel features oi form, construction, arrangement, and combina= tionof parts presently described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings (three sheets),

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an oblong rectangular containerconstructed in accordance with and embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the container takenapproximately along the line 22, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the transparent blank or strip fromwhich the side walls of the container of Figures 1 and 2 areconstructed;

Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of polygonal containersconstructed in accordance with and embodying my present invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a flap-closure type of transparentcontainer constructed in accordance with and embodying my presentinvention;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the transparent sheet or blankemployed in forming the container of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the selfclosing type of containerof Figure 6;

Figures 9 and 10 are vertical sectional views of the self-closingcontainer taken approximately along the lines 9-9 and Ill-l0,respectivelyv Figure 6;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a dispenser type of transparentcontainer constructed in accordance with and embodying my presentinvention;

Figure 12 is an end elevational view, partly broken away and in section,of the dispensing container of Figure 11; and

Figures 13 and 14 are vertical sectional views of the dispensingcontainer taken, respectively,

along the lines -|a and 14-, respectively, Figure 11.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate practical embodiments of my invention, thecontainer A of Figures 1 and 2 includes an open-top rectangular shellcomprising spaced parallel side walls I, I, and spaced parallel endwalls 2, 2, all formed from a single initially flat transparent strip orribbon B having a. width substantially equivalent to the desired heightand a length substantially equivalent to the desired perimeter of thparticular container, curled inwardly, as shown, along its oppositelongitudinal margins and thereby provided with marginal beads b havingsuitably longitudinally spaced and transversely aligned creases orindentations d, the strip B being preferably formed or constructed inthe manner more fully described in co-pending application, Serial No.367,004, filed contemporaneously herewith, and at and adjacent one endof the strip B, the beads 12 being preferably trimmed or cut away in theprovision of. a lapping-tab t, all as best seen in Figure 3.

, The strip or ribbon B, so formed, is folded upon itself at respectivepairs of transversely aligned indentations to thus include connectedside and end wall panels i and 2 and the tab t lapped over upon, andpreferably adhesively secured to, a face portion of the strip' adjacentits opposite end and the beads I) brought snugly into, and preferablyalso adhesively secured in, endwise abutment.

A bottom-forming member 3, die cut orotherwise suitably formed fromcardboard, transparent plastic sheet material, or the like, andperipherally sized for snug-fitting disposition within thecontainer-shell, is disposed within the shell to rest upon the upwardlypresented surface of and preferably, though not necessarily, secured bya filament 4 of suitable adhesive to, the lower bead b, all as best seenin Figure 2.

It will be noted that the container side and end walls I, 2, areself-reinforced to non-collapsibly upstand by their marginal beads b andthe comerforming bends, as well as by the snug-fitting peripheralengagement of the bottom member 3. Thus a substantially strong, rigid,and serviceable container A is built up from initially pliable andflexible sheet material.

It will, of course,beobvious that the length of the several wall panelsI, 2, of the completed container A will depend upon the selected spacingbetween the several pairs of bead indentations d. Hence, by varying thespacing between the indentations d, containers A of selected size andshape may be readily constructed.

Similarly, by providing a greater or lesser number of bead indentationsd than the four pairs of bead indentations 11 shown in Figure 3 andemploying an appropriately shaped bottom member, polygonal containershaving any desired number of side wall panels may be easily built-up andconstructed. For example, by providing an upstanding wall-forming striphaving eight equally spaced pairs of bead indentations d. an octagonalcontainer A having an eight-sided or paneled side wall 5 and acorrespondingly sized octagonal bottom member 6, as shown in Figure 4,may be constructed with facility; or by providing a side wall striphaving only three pairs of equally spaced bead indentations, atriangular container A" having merely three upstanding wall panels 1 anda correspondingly sized triangular bottom wall member 8, as shown inFigure 5, may be constructed with equal facility.

The container C of Figures 6 to 10 may be designated as ofend-flap-closure type and is likewise formed from a transparent ribbonor strip B substantially similar in form and structure to the strip Band also having marginal beads b' along two of its parallel margins. Thebeads b are cut away at and adjacent both the other margins of thestrip, as at c, in the provision of oppositely extending tab sections t,the outer corners of which are preferably cut off or chamfered. as at e,and the beads b being provided with two sultably spaced pairs ofindentations d. In such connection, it should be noted that the strip13' is substantially longer in the direction of the tabs it than it isin the direction of the beads b. This, of course, is preferablyaccomplished by setting the side wall making machinery described in saidco-pending application, Serial No. 367,004, to produce a strip or ribbonof the desired width and then cutting the same off lengthwise of thebead to the desired dimension.

The strip B is folded upon itself along lines extending between thepairs of head indentations d to provide and include parallel panels orwalls 9, 9, spaced and joined by a larger wall or panel l0. The tabs tare then folded inwardly and downwardly upon, and adhesively secured to,the outwardly presented longitudinal marginal portions of a fiat memberll of cardboard or the like and of substantially the same transversewidth as the wall panel l0, and disposed in snug-fitting edgewiseengagement along its longitudinal margins with the inner faces of theopposed walls or panels 9. Thus the member H is secured in spacedparallel relation to the panel ID, the latter forming the top, and theformer providing the base or bottom, wall of the finished or completedcontainer C. In length, the bottom wall II is somewhat shorter than thetop wall [0 and is disposed with its end margins in substantialregistration with the inner or curled-under edge of the respective beadsbf, and along its said ends the bottom wall member II is preferablyintegrally provided with upwardly folded end wall forming flaps l2. I2,of substantially the same height as the panels or side walls 9 andadapted for marginal engagement with the inner faces of the walls 9 andI0 and for facewise engagement against the inwardly presented rolledsurfaces of the beads b, all as best seen in Figures 6 and 10.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the end wall flap I 2 is providedcentrally of its upper or transverse margin with a so-called thumb-cutl3 for enabling convenient fingernail engagement for pulling the flap l2outwardly for permitting convenient access to the interior of thecontainer. It may be remarked that, by reason of the inherentflexibility of the plastic sheet material from which the strip B hasbeen made, the beads b will have sufficent resilience to permit the endwall flap l2 to be so pulled outwardly. Similarly, when it is desired toagain close the container, the end wall flap I 2 is pushed upwardly andsnapped past the bead 1) into closure-forming position. If desired, theopposite end wall flap l2 may be permanently secured in place bysuitable adhesive or left free, so that such flap too may be opened andclosed in the same manner as the opposite end wall flap l2, should thetype of merchandise to be housed within the container, or the packagingmethods to be employed, require or demand.

C designates a further modified form of container of the so-calleddispensing type, as shown in Figures 11 to 14, inclusive. The containerC is constructed substantially in the same manner as the container C;except that the transparent side wall forming strip or ribbon is ofsomewhat different dimensions in order to provide a finished containerof more or less cubical shape. In addition, the container C is providedwith a bottom wall l4, substantially similar to the bottom wall ll ofthe container 0, except that the wall id is provided with only one endflap having a thumb-cut l5. Along its other transverse margin, thebottom wall It is provided with a thumb-cut l1, and adhesively securedto the adjacent marginal bead portion b", is a rectangular transparentend wall sheet l8 terminating at its lower margin IS in spaced relationto the bottom wall It in the provision of an elongated opening ordispensing slot 20.

The container C may be packed from the rear, so to speak, by pulling outthe end flap l5 and inserting merchandise units. In this connection, itwill, of course, be evident that the container C must be shaped andsized for accommodating the package units of merchandise to be housedtherein and the dispensing slot 20 should likewise be sized to permitremoval of the merchandise units successively one at a time.

Since the various side wall forming strips may be fabricated at aconstant and substantially high rate of speed in the manner more fullydescribed in said copending application, Serial No. 367,004, and sincethe assembling of the thus formed strips into finished containers is asimple and speedy operation, it will be evident that containersconstructed in accordance with my present invention will be relativelyinexpensive and the production schedules of such containers may beconventionally and readily integrated with production schedules ofmanufacturing plants utilizing the containers in the packaging offinished products. It will further be evident that strong, rigidcontainers may be constructed of medium or light gauge transparentsheets, which, in initial fiat or sheet form, are non-rigid, therebyenabling substantial econthose herein shown and described without de-.

- parting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is,

A straight walled polygonal container body comprising, in combination, ashell constructed of a single elongated substantially oblong-rectangularstrip of transparent material curled inwardly upon tiself along itsopposite elongated parallel margins and thereby marginally providedlengthwise with cylindrical beads, said beads being provided atlongitudinally spaced in tervals with transversely aligned fold indenta-I tions, said indentations being positioned and spaced inwardly from thetwo ends of the elongated strip whereby the length of the two endportions combined constitutes more than the legnth of one side wall ofthe container and-said strip having the bead portions thereof cut awayat one end of the strip in the provision of a lapping and connectingtab, the strip being folded upon itself in registration with saidtransversely aligned indentations to constitute connected side wallpanels and said tab being lapped over upon and being adhesively securedto the opposite end of the strip with the cutaway ends of the beadformations of the lapping end in substantial alignment and end-abuttingrelation with respect to the corresponding beads of the opposite end ofthe strip whereby said connected ends are disposed in substantiallyflatwise relation to form one side of the container and without angularbending of the material closely adjacent to either end of the elongatedstrip, and a bottom-forming member disposed within the confines of thefolded strip contoured to conform substantially to the walled outline ofthe container supported upon and adhesively fixed to the inner side ofone of said beads.

ALVIN A. ABRAMSON.

